Protective helmets of many varieties exist to provide head protection for bicyclists. Considerable resources have been expended in efforts to better understand head injury relating to bicycle use and to develop head gear that can provide improved safety in the event of an impact to the bicyclist's head. However, not only must a helmet provide adequate protection from serious head injury, preferably, the helmet is light weight, comfortable, and well-ventilated to help the rider stay cool. Bicycle helmets are provided with openings, so that portions of the wearer's head are exposed to ambient air for ventilation. As will be appreciated, ventilation of the helmet by providing openings can result in compromise of the structural integrity of the resulting helmet, which can in turn, reduce the effectiveness of the helmet for head protection. Therefore, there is a continuing need to provide improved ventilation in a cost effective manner while maintaining or improving the structural integrity of the helmet.